Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Some more details are coming out of the new Axl Rose interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Times writer Randall Roberts sat down with Rose last week in Seattle following the band’s gig at the Key Arena, where former GNR bassist Duff McKagan’s band, Loaded, opened the show.

While many fans are vocal about wanting a reunion of the original GNR lineup, Axl is pretty clear about his thoughts on trying to turn back the clock – on any era of the band.

“Really, you can get guys from the ‘Illusion’ thing, but the only thing that would make it would be Duff and Slash, really,” says Axl. “It’s nothing against Izzy [Stradlin] and it’s nothing against Steven [Adler], or anything like that. Steven may want it, but these guys I’m working with right now, they work really hard and it’s hard work. I’ve toured with the other guys and I’ve also seen what they’ve done since, and I just know the difficulties.”

“I don’t have an excitement to work with people that joined in the ‘Illusion’ time,” he continues. “There’s behind the scenes that was really, really difficult there with different ones. So it’s not really even a full reunion.”

“And these guys have been here a long time, whether the public knows it or not, because we haven’t done the media like that,” the singer explains. “Tommy [Stinson]’s been on 14 years, Richard's [Fortus] going on 11. That’s as long as Duff was in the band. Chris [Pitman] has been in going on 11, Dizzy [Reed]’s on since ‘Illusion,’ Frank [Ferrer]’s going on six, and so’s [Ron] Bumble[foot] [Thal]. These guys have been here. And DJ [Ashba]’s going on three.”

“Plus, we can have our differences, and everybody in the band can be like, ‘I don’t understand that guy’ and point at one of us, you know? But at the same time, we get along. I don’t have to tell these guys what to do onstage. I can suggest something at times, but that’s very little.”